Pressure feed for supplying fuel to internal-combustion engines



May 27, 1924. 1,495,777

c. s. BURTON PRESSURE FEED FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO INTERNAL COMBUSTIQNENGINES Filed March 2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

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May 27 1924.

C. S. BURTON PRESSURE FEED FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Filed March 2 1923 2 Sh'eetrSheet 3 3 now L 50:

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\\\v\\ A\\\n\\\\\\\\t ammg Patented May 27, 1924:w

Umrso STATES PATENT orr cs.

CHARLES S. BURTON, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STEWART-WARNERSPEEDQMETER COBPQRATE'SE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF VIB-GINIA.

-.'PBESSUBE FEED FOR SUPPLYING FUEL TO INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application sled March 2, 192:. Serial m. 622,272.

To all whom/it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES. S. BURTON, a citizen of the United States,residing in the illage of Oak Park, in the county of Cook nd the Stateof Illinois, have invent-- ed'certafn new and useful Improvements inPressure feed for Supplying Fuel to Internal-Combustion Engines, ofwhich the following 'is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention it to provide means for furnishing fuel tothe can buretor of an internal combustion engine particularly of anautomobile or other motor vehicle, from a main reservoir situated at alower level than the carburetor intake, by gaspressurc exerted on thefuel at the space from which it is to be lifted. It consists in theelements and features of construction shown and described as indicatedin the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of the nature of a sideelevation of a portion of an automobile and its engine equipped withfuel feeding device embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the main fuel tank at a plane axialwith respect to the fuel lifting device therein. which e'mbodies thisinvention.

,Figure 3 is a section at the line 33 on Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section at the line -1 l on Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section at the line 5' 5 on r igure Figure; 6 is a plan"iew of a closure plate for the'fhanger which carries the pressurechamber.

Figure 7 is a vertical aitial section of the portion of the pressurepipe line and appurtenances whichappears in Figure 1 extending above theengine.

Figure 8 is a vertical aiiial section of the. part of the fuel deliverypipe hne and stand F g. 1 for-- pipe thereon which appears in ward ofthe dash. V

In the structure shown in the drawings B represents the engine from oneof whose cylinders as indicated by the nipple connection, B gas -ressureis derived and conducted throng a pressure pipe line, 35, to

a pressure chamber, 1, situated and connected for being filled with fuelby gravity from the main fuel reservoir or tank, A, said pressurechamber being preferably, as shown, mounted within the main tank, A,being suspended by means of a tubular hanger, 28, from the margin of anaperture, (1;, in the top of the tank, A, as more par- "ularlyhereinafter described, and having its intake for liquid fuel through itsbottom cap, 2, positioned near the bottom of the main tank, A, andhaving its intake port, 2, controlled by a downwardly-seating checkvalve, 3, retained in'proper'proximity to its seat, K. The pressurechamber, 1, is desirably dimensioned to contain somewhat more thanenough liquid fuel to fill the fuel delivery pipe line, 34, and a standpipe, 33, thereon and the carburetor float bowl, C; the excess capacityof said pressure chamber above the capacity of said pipe line, standpipe and flow bowl being desirable for a function or feature ofoperation of the device hereinafter explained.

The chanilier, 1, is closed at the top by a closure casting, 5, whosemargin lodges on the upper end of the tube which constitutes the body ofthe pressure chamber, 1, and which is clamped liquid-tight thereon by anannular coupling, 26, which is screwed onto the upper end of the tubularbody, 1, having the intcriorly projecting annular flange, 26, forengaging the margin of the closure casting, 5. Said icoupling, 26, hasalso an upwardly projecting annular fiange, 27, exteriorly threaded forhaving screwed onto it the lower end of the tubular hanger, 28. Thishanger, though for convenience tubular. does not. constitute a chainbcrbeing laterally slotted as seen at 29 for nearly its whole lengthrendering it a skeleton. Its upper end is closed by a circular plate,28", which is clamped onto the upper end of the tubular hanger by aflange plate, 30, which is dimensioned for lapping andbeing bolted ontothe margin of the aperture, a, in the main tank, A, and which has adownwardly projecting annular flange, 30 interiorly threaded forscrewing onto' the upper aperture, 32, in the plate, 28, and is screwedgas and liquid'tight into the cast ing, 5,'into the top closure for theressure chamber, 1.' This casting, 5, has a oss,'5

j projecting from. its lower side for convenience of forming thereincertain passages for atmosphere vent,-press'ure excess and relief, andfuel discharge,'as will now be described. From the upper side of theclosure casting, 5, there is bored 21 valve chamber, 8,

which is closed at the top by a plug, 6, having a small axial air ventport, 7, into which desirably but not indispensably there may be screweda slender, vent pipe, 7*, which extends up in -the main tank, A,-to apoint above, the high liquid level thereof, and

I which may extend out through the plate,

' 28, asshown. A bore is made at 11 alongside the valve chamber, 8, and.extending toa point below the level of thebottom of that chamber. This,bore is connected b a crossbore, 10, bored in from the left and end ofthe boss, 5*, and closed at its outer end 2 by a plug, 12, and into thiscross bore a vertical bore, 13, is made at the center of the bottom ofthe valve chamber, 8,- a'li ned therefore with the'air vent, 7; a lateraentrance t'othe valve chamber, 8, is bored in from the left hand end ofthe boss, 5 as seen at 8 A disk/valve, 9, is placed. in the valvechamber, 8, before inserting the plug,

6, said valve having desirably ,a slender wire stem, 9, extending downthrough the free guide aperture in the bottom of the valve chamber; anda corkfloat, 9, is placed in the chamber, 1, and checked between vertical guidewires, 9", which extend down from the closure casting, 5,whereby the 40 float is retained in avertical path in which itencounters the end ofthe valve stem, 9,

' when the liquid rises to a predetermined height in the chamber, 1.Upon considering this construction it will be understood that in theabsence of pressure through the 7. pressure pipe line the chamber, 1,-will be filled by gravit fl w .past the check valve, 13, free. atmosperid vent being obtained through the vent port, 7; and it will also 5 beunderstood that upon thepressure arriviiig through the pressure pipeline, and the liquid level having risen in the chamber, 1, .to thepredetermined limitfor causing the float, 9, to lift the valve, 9, toits seat, said valve, 9,'will be held by the gas pressure seated againstthe lower end of the plug, 6,

- closing the atmosphere vent, 7.

The closure casting, 5, is also bored from its upper side to form avalve chamber, 14,

vinto which the fuel uptake pipe, 15, is

screwed from below, said pipe extending down in the pressure chamber, 1,and open ing for fuel intake near the bottom of that chamber. A ballcheck valve, 16, seats downi 06 wardly at'the bore, 18,. into which theuptake pipe,'15, is connected; and a bushing, 17 ,screwed into the upperend of the bore which' forms the 'valve chamber, 14, has screwed throughit the initial member, an,

of"t-he fuel. delivery pipe line, 34, the lower end of said initialmember, 3 1, projecting" into the valve' chamber, 14, stopping the checkvalve, 16, in its movement away from its seat, the 'end of said pipe,34?, being slottedand notched as shown at 20 for free HCCGSSOflillOliquid to said pipe around the check valve. From the port, 18,,below theseat of the check valve, 16, a prcssurejrelief duct, 22, is bored infrom the right hand end of the boss, 5 its outer end being closed by adplug, 23, and this relief duct is continue upward by abore, 21, intowhose upper end there is screwed the pressure relief pipe, 24, whichextends up in tho niain tank preferably to a point above the highliquidlevel thereof. a

'. Referring now to the pressure connection with the cylinderoftheengine selected for furnishing the pressure; it Willbe noted that p acheck valve, 40, is provided seating back towardthe cylinder port forretaining the pressure in the pressure pipe line in the intervalsbetween pressure impulses derived from the cylinder; and at anyconvenient point in the pipe line beyond this check valve there isdesirably placed a cushioning and pressure maintaining chamber, 41, andbeyond this chamber a. restricting plug, 42, is introduced in the pipeline to restrictthe flow of ,the' gas delivered under the high, 10pressurefrom theien inc cylinder, so that pressure willaccumulaterelatively slowly 1n the pressure chamber, 1, but withoutinterruption or material variation, the inter mittent pressure furnishedby the engine cylinder being converted into continuous pressure bythe'cushioning and pressuxemaintaining chamber, 11, located under the pie'line as described. v v

esirably the fuel delivery pipe line, 34; In? has aT-fitting interposeda short distance back of its connection with the carburetor float bowl,most conveniently at a point in:- mediately forward of the dash as seenin Figure 1, and into the upwardly projecting 1L5 stem of this T-fittingthere is'screwed a stand pipe, 33, which may extend toany con venientheight in front of ,the dash." Gate the upper end of this stand pipethere is screwed a cap, 36,'having 'a'vent ort, 37,;

and within the cap-there is place a cork,

38, of'diame'ter to move freely in the ca with some liquid clearancearound it an 1 adapted thereby to be floated up against the top of thecap and act as a valve to'closc thev vent port, 38, if the stand ipeshould at any time become filled with liquid.

-'Upon considering the structure above described it will beunderstood'that the main tank, A,- being supplied with gasoline and mIll v filling that line and the carburetor float the engine at rest thepressure chamber.

will be filled by avity flow from the in: 11k; and that upon t ie enginebeing started by the starter or being turned over by the crank, gaspressure will be transmitted through the pressure pipe line to thechamber, 1, and will force down the liquid in that chamber forcing it upinto the fuel delivery line bowl and the stand pipe, 33, by thetimet-lie level in the pressure chamber has-been forced down to theintake of the uptake pipe, 15;

whereupon the pressure gas will ,(llll up that pipe, in part driving theliquid before it and in part driving t rough theliquid,

and will find vent through the pressure vent pipe, 24; whereupon theliquid which has been forced out and up the fuel delivery pipe beforethe vent occurred being retained against returning by. the check valve,16, the chamber, 1, will be refilled by gravity the float under the headof liquid in the main tank, the chamber, 1, being vented through the airvent, 7. The pressure gas which is continuing to flow in through thepressure line while the liquid is rising in the cham: ber, 1, will bemainly vented through the atmosphere vent, 7, until the liquid rises sofar as to cause the float 9, to lift the valve, 9, to its seat,whereupon the pressure jet will hold that valve seated, closing thevent, Y

and thereafter the gas pressure will accumulate more rapidly in thechamber, 1, and drive out the liquid through the uptake pipe,

15, into the pressure supply line as before reviewing the former cycleof operations. The fuelin the standpipe, 33, will supply therequirements of the carburetor during the interval of refilling thechamber, 1, and the discharge from the chamber, 1, will be delayed as toits completion until the consumption of fuel by the engine makes roomfor the final delivery which will permit the chamber, 1, to. ventthrough the pipe, 24, and be ready for refilling. The purpose of makingthe capacity of the chamber, 1, great enough to fill the delivery pipeline, the carburetor, float bowl, or stand pipe, 33, is to adapt thedevice to operate as a primer. It may be preferred to make the chamber,1, of less capacity than necessary for this purpose. And said chamber,1, may be made only of sufiicient capacity'to meet the maxig It may befound desirable to limit thethis chamber and providing the spring, 4:3,

which holds the valve seated witha tensioningscrew, 44, for adjusting itto any desired limit of pressure in the chamber.

, It will bei noticed that while the pressure islowering the level inthe chamber; 1, before it is lowered to the level of the intake mouth ofthe pipe, 15, by which pressure is fed through said pi e, 15, and thevent pipe, 24, liquid will be driven out through said vent pipe, 24,simultaneously with the delivery of liquid up through the pipe, 34', andthe remainder of the fuel delivery line to the carburetor. This movementof theli uid which is delivered back from the chem 1, 15, into the maintank from which it originally came is fi'inctionless in so far as thatthe mere transference of the liquid from" one chamber to the other hasno purpose. But the intended function of the construction is that whenthe-tube, 24, is occupied by liquid, the liquid has the function of an 0structing valve restricting the dischar e through said tube, both bytheinertia of tile liquid and the friction of the liquid on the enclosingtube; but when the liquid is finally driven out by the pressure becausethe tube alfords substantially free vent for the gas, and it isconsidered preferable to thus move a certain quantity of liquid back andforth between the two chambers without function as to the movementitself, ratherithan to provide mechanical-valve means for preventing theflow of liquid adapted to open to permit the How of pressure gas at theproper stage in the cycle of operation as demay be increased to anydesired extent by extendingthe pipe, 24, as for example, by the coil,24, shown in Figure 2. The extent and dimensions of this pipe, 24, andits extension would be determined in each particular construction. inview of the degree of pressure under which the pressure gas'is deliveredand the depth of liquid to be maintained as a minimum in the reservoir.In any case, the duct, '24, it will be observed,

serves to an extent as an atmosphere vent in the fillinprocess,'causing'the up-take pipe, 15,- an said tube. '24, to fillalmost instantly to the height of liquid in the reservoir, A, but thisdoes not dispense with the vent provided through'the vent port, 7, saidvent port being necessary in order to permit the chamber to fill outsideof the up-take' pipe, 15. On the other hand, the vent port, 7, does notdispense with the vent, 24,, because said vent, 7, does not open untilthe pressure abovethe liquid in the chamber, 1,

105 scribed. The described function of the pi e, v

the communication of said-vent duct with .from a source of gas pressure,afueldelivery conduit leading from the lower part of said .pressurechamber to the engine 'carburetor and a relatively restricted pressurevent duct leading from the pressure chamber and dlscharging in the mainreservoir,

the pressure chamber being at a selected level down to which the liquidcontents of said chamber are to be forced by the gas pressure fordelivering said liquid contents from said chamber,- and meanspreventingthe return to the pressure chamber of the liquid so deliveredtherefrom.

2. In the construction defined in claim 1 foregoing, the source of gaspressure being a cylinder of an engine to be served, Whereby thepressurg;communicated is intermittent; a check valve 1n the pressureconnection seating back toward the engine for retaining the pressuretransmitted and preventing suction back toward the engine; a cushioningand, pressure-maintaining chamher on the pressure line between theengine and the pressure chamber, the pressure duct having its dischargeinto the pressure chain ber restricted relatively to the pressure ventduct.

3. In the construction defined in claim '1 foregoing, a stand pipe onthe fuel delivery line anterior to its connection with the carburetor,said stand pipe having its upper I said vent aperture when the standpipeis substantially filled with liquid.

end closed and provided Witha restricted air g vent aperture, and afloat valve in the stand -p1pe'adapted to be floated to itsseat closing4. "In-the construction defined in claim 1 foregoing, the pressurechamber having a fuel inlet valve atthe bottom opening for inflow andseating against outflow from said pressure chamber and the fuel deliverypipe p from said pressure chamber comprising anuptake member extendeddown through the top thereof ando ening for fuel intake near the bottomof said chamber; a'check valve in said uptake pipe-seating'ag'ainstreturn flow of the fuel to the pressure chamber, the "pressure vent ductleading from said up take pipe at a point below said check valve.

5. In the construction defined in claim 1 foregoing, the source of gaspressure being a cylinder of an engine to be served,-Where- 7 by thepressure derived. 1s intermittent; a

- check valve in the pressure connection, seat-' mg back towardtheengine for retaining the pressure transmitted and preventing suctionback toward the engine; a cushioning and pressure-maintaining chamber onthe pressure line between the engine and the pressure chamber, thepressure duct having its discha ige into the pressure chamber re strcted relatively to the pressure vent duct, the pressure maintainlng-,Cl1fiIXll)Bl' having a a spring seated pressure-limiting or safetyvalve, and means for adjusting the tension of the spring for limitingthe pressure maintaihed by said chamber.

In testimon whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at hicago, Illinois,this 28th day of February, 1823. c r

. CHARLES S. BURTON.

